Portable therapeutic device



Dec. 12, 1950 N. n. PITTS PORTABLE Tl-FERAPEUTIC DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1948 I u rel/In r ZVZrm anHPZ'ZZs Patented Dec. 12, 1950 THERAPEUTIC DE 1GB Norman H. Pitts, Hanlwick, Gm

7 Application October 22, 1948; Serial No. 55,94?

' 1 claim. (01. 128-396) This invention relates to a portable therapeutic device for use in the application of heat to tissues of the human body to be treated ea "for example, in the rectal or vaginal cavities More particularly, it isan object of thepresent invention to provide a dilator or shield of a heat conducting material adapted to be demountably attached to a self contained light and heat source having a cavity for receiving a light and heat emitting element thereof and which device is adapted for insertion into the human cavity to be treated for subjecting such portion to light rays and heat rays.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shield or dilator through which rays from a heat and light source contained therein are emitted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for internal therapeutic treatment particularly adapted to be mounted as an attachment on a small flashlight or similar self contained light source.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view showing the invention applied to a flashlight;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates generally a small flashlight of conventional construction and of the so called pen type including a housing 6 of cylindrical shape having a closed end and an opposite internally threaded open end 1 and which is shown as containing two dry cell batteries 8 and which preferably contains a socket 9 of insulating material at its closed end and by means of which the batteries 8 are held in engagement with one another and in an advanced position, ducting material is disposed for longitudinal sliding movement in the housing 6 and is provided with an angularly turned end which is disposed within the socket 9 and which has a projection A bar ID of electrical con 2 longitudinally elbng'atecl' opening 2: to slidabi receive an outwardly offset portion I: of the bar Ill which is detachably fastened to a pocket clip M which is disposed externally of the housing- 6 and which additionally functions as a H on the inner side thereof for contact with the negative end of the rear battery 8 when the rod I9 is advanced toward the open end of the housing 6. The housing 6 is provided with a switch autuatorfor the flashlight 5 by movement lbngitudinally of. the. barrel 6 ion displacing the contact ll into and out of engagement with the adjacent battery 8.

The flashlight 5 is provided with a socket l5 which is generally of circular or cylindrical cross section and which has an externally threaded end It for engagement with the internally threaded barrel portion 1 and which is provided with an outwardly projecting annular flange ll adapted to be manually engaged for connecting and disconnecting the socket ,15. The outer end of the socket I5 is provided with an annular inwardly extending wall 18 which supports an integral I bulb receiving socket I9 which extends inwardly therefrom and which is internally threaded for engagement with the threaded base portion 20 of a small electric bulb 2| which portion 20 makes electrical contact through the socket l5 with the housing 6 which is likewise formed of electrical conducting material. The bulb 2| is provided with the usual base contact 22 which engages the positive contact of the forward battery 8 so that when the contact II is displaced forwardly into engagement with the negative end of the rear battery 8 the circuit will be completed for energizing the bulb 2|.

The therapeutic device constituting the inven tion, is designated generally 23 and comprises a substantially cylindrical portion 24 having an outer end 25 which is closed and preferably rounded and which is provided with an integral enlarged opposite open end 26 forming a socket for engagement over the outer end of the socket I5. The device 23 may be formed of any suitable material constituting a good conductor of heat and which is substantially nonbreakable and the cylindrical portion 24 thereof is perforated as seen at 21 throughout its length.

The enlarged end or socket portion 26 may be detachably connected to the outer end of the socket l5 in any suitable manner as by having such parts threaded or by providing them with complementary indentations 28 and 29 to form a snap fit whereby the shield or therapeutic device 23 will be retained in engagement with the flashlight 5 and from which it can be readily disengaged by a pull being exerted thereon. Accord- V ingly, it will be apparent that the device 23 can be readily removed from the flashlight 5 when not in use and for the purpose of cleansing and when applied thereto will combine therewith to form a completely portable therapeutic device which can be conveniently carried and utilized where a source of electric current is not available. As seen in Figure 2, the globe of the bulb 2| extends into the cylindrical portion 24 so that when energized the heat therefrom will heat said portion 24 which, when inserted into a human cavity will afford a convenient applicator for the tissues of such cavity to be treated; Further, the light rays and heat rays from the bulb 2| will be emitted through the perforations 27 to the tissues to be treated. Obviously, if desired the globe of the bulb 2| can be elongated to extend substantially the length of the cylindrical portion 24 and a bulb for emitting infra-red rays could be substituted for the bulb 2|, if desired.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviousl be resorted to,

without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a therapeutic device, in combination with a self contained light and heat source having a bulb socket at one end thereof and having a lamp bulb 4 mounted therein and with the globe projecting outwardly therefrom, an applicator or shield comprising a. cylindrical member having an outer closed end and an enlarged inner open end for receiving the bulb socket, latch means for detachably connecting the inner open end 01 the applicator to said bulb socket for mounting said applicator or shield thereon, said latch means comprising a depression formed in the bulb socket and an internal projection on the inner end of the applicator or shield detachably engaging in the'depression, said cylindrical portion defining a cavity for receiving the globe of the bulb and being adapted to be heated thereby.

NORMAN H. PITTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 617,592 Misel Jan. 10, 1899 1,158,600 Wappler Nov. 2, 1915 1,771,076 Chesney July 22, 1930 

